CLIQUE
by shadowy dreamer
Summary: In the world of elite private prep schools, the harsh division line of a clique is inevitable. Too bad Sakura, a girl in the middle of the social hierarchy, likes Syaoran, a member of the grade's most exclusive and popular clique. Will she be destroyed?
1. The First

**Clique**

**Disclaimer: See my profile page. **

**Summary**: In the world of elite private prep schools, the harsh division line of a clique is inevitable. Too bad Sakura, a girl in the middle of the social hierarchy, likes Syaoran, a member of the grade's most exclusive and popular clique. Will she be destroyed?

**Chapter One**

The carpet muffled the click of her high-heeled shoes. A pale hand skimmed the railing.

Tomoyo Daidouji walked down the hall, turning heads and attracting eyes. Some of her violet hair lay tamely on her shoulders while the rest of it hung down her back. Small white crystal earrings twinkled modestly against her raven hair. She was dressed simply in a tailored blouse and a black skirt, yet she still managed to capture everyone's attention. Besides the obvious physical allure, Tomoyo Daidouji possessed a static attraction—the scent of self-confidence and social prominence.

A few people smiled and attempted to make eye contact with her, but she deigned to return the favors and settled on a simple nod, her violet eyes staring straight ahead.

A member of the cleaning personnel held the door open for her, and she smiled slightly, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. He continued to stare at her, even after she had passed.

Her heels made sharp clicking sounds on the linoleum. She walked into the cafeteria and selected her usual, a cup of steaming black coffee and a plain bagel without cream cheese. Then she paid for her food and began walking to the table where she and her bosom buddies always sat.

"Good morning, Dr. Tamahome," Tomoyo said pleasantly as she passed her English teacher. "I have the article I wrote on the history of the women's suffrage movement. Would you like to see it now?"

Her voice was quiet and musical, yet her teacher and everyone else passing by them managed to catch her every word.

"Why yes, Tomoyo. I'm glad you have that ready," Dr. Tamahome said, staring closely at her.

Tomoyo smiled politely and reached into the pocket of her skirt, holding out a folded sheet of paper. Dr. Tamahome took it and unfolded it.

"Very good, Tomoyo," he said, after scanning it briefly. "I'll send this right away to the editor of the school newspaper. He'll be delighted to receive another one of your opinionated editorials."

Tomoyo smiled again. Then she nodded to her teacher and turned away, ready to go eat with her friends.

"Hey, Tomoyo."

" 'Moyo! Come help me with my Geometry homework!"

"Like Oh-Em-Gee!! Tomoyo's here!"

Tomoyo smiled at all of them and sat down at the table, smoothing her skirt and crossing her legs.

"Hand me that Geometry, Takashi."

Takashi complied, giving the paper to her.

"Sit next to me."

For the next fifteen minutes, Tomoyo waxed eloquent on the various postulates and theorems needed to prove the statement.

"...and then you write CPCTC. Yes, that's right, Takashi. There you go. You're finished now."

"Thanks, 'Moyo!" Takashi moved away to sit at his seat.

Tomoyo took off the lid of her coffee cup and sipped delicately.

"God, Tomoyo, you're so smart. I can never get all of this math crap."

Meiling Li slid into the seat next to her and stabbed a lettuce leaf with her fork.

"Salad? In the morning?" Tomoyo asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Meiling nodded, through a mouthful of leafy greenery. "It'll clear up my skin."

"You really don't need it," Tomoyo responded, raising a sardonic eyebrow even higher.

"Whafefer," said Meiling thickly, speaking through another mouthful.

Tomoyo sat back and listened to her friends talk around her. She opened her Saint Yves bag and took out a makeup compact. She checked her reflection in the small mirror and made sure her mascara hadn't melted yet.

"Eww...oh my god...look at Naoko's shirt," Chiharu Mihara whispered to Tomoyo.

Tomoyo snapped her compact shut and looked at Naoko Yanagisawa, a bespectacled, thin girl.

"Look at that...you can see the price tag still hanging off the collar! How can she not notice that?"

Meiling, Yuni, and Liz all turned to stare. Giggling, Meiling said, "What, is Naoko trying to advertise that she got the shirt at Old Navy?"

Liz rolled her eyes and flipped her blond hair, smacking her gum loudly. "Old Navy is so middle class. Typical Naoko." She turned away and began flirting vivaciously with Kenneth, who was her unofficial favorite plaything.

Tomoyo raised her eyebrows and sighed, blocking out Meiling's and Yuni's voices as they began to attack Naoko viciously.

Tomoyo had just about had enough when, fortunately, a distraction saved Naoko's already ravaged pride from further attacks by Meiling and Yuni.

"Omg, Syaoran!!!!"

Meiling got up from her chair and drew out another one. "Sit right here, Syaoran."

Yuni smiled at him, also getting up from her chair. "Hey Syaoran," she said, sauntering over to him and embracing him.

"Yo, dude! Look, there's Eriol."

Tomoyo turned her head away from Syaoran and stared hard at Eriol. He was listening to his iPod and carrying a large sports bag.

"What's up, Tomoyo," he said smiling at her as everyone got up to slap him on the back and/or hug him.

Tomoyo eyed his bag. "Practice starts today?"

Eriol waved his hand. "Nah, it started back in August."

Tomoyo looked down at her empty coffee cup. "Oh."

Eriol sensed her consternation. "There's a game against Junoi today. Come if you'd like. It's on the main field."

Tomoyo smiled and shook her head. "Nope, sorry. I have a volleyball game today. Come if you'd like. It's in the main gym."

They laughed, and Tomoyo savored the sound of his voice joining with hers.

"Hello, Tomoyo."

Syaoran sat down next to her and thumped his sports bag down. He pulled his headphones out of his ears and turned off his iPod. Tomoyo heard the last strains of "Golddigger" by Kanye West fade away.

"Aghs! I didn't get enough sleep last night," Syaoran said, pushing his rumpled chestnut locks away from his eyes, "I had to stay up late to finish Johnston's essay. Bastard. He had assigned it just two weeks before. That's not nearly enough time to do a ten page paper, what with soccer practice, JSA, Model UN, and martial arts training after school."

Tomoyo patted his shoulder. "Johnston sucks," she said sympathetically. "If you had Yen, like me, you could get an extension."

Syaoran rolled his amber eyes. "Yen hits on all the guys, as the illustrious Hiiragizawa tells me," he said, nodding in Eriol's direction. Eriol was currently blasting his iPod full volume and had his arm around Chika, poking and prodding her arm. "You're only safe from Yen's advances if you're a girl, or a really ugly guy. Like Matowitz over there." Syaoran pointed at the unfortunate young man.

Tomoyo hit his arm. "Stop that, you beast! Apologize."

Syaoran rubbed his arm ruefully. "All right, I'm sorry. It's just that I've been really stressed out. And it's only the third fuckin' week of school."

Tomoyo rubbed his arm reassuringly. "Things will get better, you'll see. Besides, it's our first year of high school. You'll need some time to get used to it."

"Why Tomoyo...how come you won't rub my arm when I get hurt?"

Tomoyo turned around and nearly gasped. "Touya! Don't scare me like that!"

Touya Kinomoto was leaning on the back Tomoyo's chair, grinning his (in)famous grin. He ruffled his wet hair. Droplets of water sprayed Tomoyo in the face. "Come watch our soccer game, 'Moyo. It's against Junoi today, on the main field."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Hiiragizawa here already told me. Besides, I have a volleyball game today, so I can't."

Touya sighed disappointedly. "I was hoping that you'd join my fan base of adoring cheerleaders, but you just dashed my dreams."

Tomoyo flipped her hair dismissively. A strand caught Touya in the face. "Whatever," she said, ignoring her pounding heart.

She turned around, but stopped short when Touya brushed her hair lightly with his fingers. Syaoran, who had been watching their exchange distastefully, noticed her stiffen. "Watch it, Kinomoto. Don't mess with Tomoyo." His voice was dangerous.

Touya, who had been smirking, narrowed his eyes. "She's not your property, Li."

Sensing an impending face-off, Tomoyo quickly said, "Okay! Leave now, Touya, unless you've got more to say." She then turned away from him and pulled in her chair. Touya stood up and walked away, casting a contemptuous look at Syaoran.

Syaoran touched her shoulder. "Hey...are you all right?" It was very important, in times like those, to touch Tomoyo's shoulder.

Tomoyo swallowed and nodded, keeping her composure smooth and her face blank. She never displayed her emotions in the open.

Syaoran glared at Touya, who was now joking and laughing with his friends. "That pig. I can't believe you hooked up with him--" He was suddenly silenced when Tomoyo's hand clapped over his mouth.

Syaoran's amber eyes were shocked and apologetic. Tomoyo removed her hand, shooting him a death glare while looking around casually, checking to see if anyone had heard him.

Syaoran gulped. "I'm sorry, Tomoyo. It just--it just kind of slipped out. The heat of the moment, you know."

Tomoyo raised her eyebrows and unwrapped her bagel, biting into it. She chewed, swallowed, and coughed slightly.

Syaoran grinned when the cough sounded suspiciously like, "_Youbastard._"

-----

Sonomi and Yelan were two of Tokyo's most renowned and wealthy socialites. Sonomi was a rich fashion designer and businesswoman, while Yelan was a connoisseur in the matters of ceramics--her factories made some of the world's most coveted earthenware. The two were best friends and sometime business partners, bonded by their grief over the loss of their husbands.

It was natural, then, that their children had grown up together. Syaoran Li, Tomoyo Daidouji, and several other children had grown up together, their parents the wealthiest of Tokyo's affluent. There was Chiharu Mihara, whose father owned a chain of restaurants specializing in Japanese cuisine. There was Eriol Hiiragizawa, whose great-grandparents had been fabulously wealthy English imperialists, and whose wealth had been passed down to Eriol's grandparents. There was also Meiling Li, a scion of the Li Clan, whose parents were also wealthy, but not as wealthy as Yelan. They owned a chain of successful bakeries.

Then there were seven other children, whose families were slightly less wealthy than the Daidoujis, the Lis, the Hiiragizawas, and the Miharas. Chika, Yuni, Takashi, Liz, Kenneth, Yoji, and Momo were all friends with Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu, Syaoran and Meiling, but they were considered the lesser people of the elitist clique.

The twelve of them had gone to the same school since Pre-Kindergarten, Seijou Preparatory School. With its exorbitant tuition and star studded teaching staff, Seijou was the ultimate choice for those who wanted their children to have superb educations.

There was a strict social hierarchy at Seijou. The Twelve, as the elitist clique of tenth grade became known as, was obviously at the top. Then there were the ones who were between the middle and high. Then there were those in the middle, and then those between middle and the low, and then those of the low.

And, of course, there was also the lowest of the low, a group containing only two people: the unfortunate Matowitz, and the skinny, unremarkable Mansho, who knew all the names of the Japanese emperors and shoguns, dating back to 1500.

Strictly speaking, the cliques did not intermingle, but there were always those who wanted to climb the ladder by following The Twelve around. Those nuisances were quickly gotten rid of, whether by force or by deceit.

There were some who hated The Twelve, but most of the grade looked up to them in admiration or fear.

-----

Touya looked down at the picture of the girl with dark emerald eyes and light brown hair. He frowned and flipped the photo over. His father had written, _Sakura:age eight_.

Touya's scowl deepened. _This picture was taken over seven years ago. How the hell am I supposed to find her in a high school of 546 people? She could be that punk girl over there..._Touya looked briefly at the girl, who blew a kiss at him. He winked at her and she giggled, pulling on the sleeves of her friends.

"Hey Touya, what's up? Are you pumped for the game?"

Eriol slid easily into the seat next to him.

Touya rolled his eyes. "Stop blasting 'Golddigger'! God, how I hate that song."

Eriol smiled and turned the volume up even louder.

Touya growled and flattened his head on the desk, the photo fluttering to the floor.

Eriol picked up the photo while turning his music down. "'Sakura:age eight'," he read aloud. Then he looked at Touya, a frown marring his brow. "How'd you get hold of this?"

Touya's head flopped up. "You know her?"

Eriol raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, you're talking about Sakura Amamiya, right? She's in my Chemistry class. She's new this year and really quiet. Good kid, I think. Relatively intelligent. Certainly more so than most of these baboons you hang out with," he said, gesturing towards Touya's friends, who were stuffing ice cream down a pretty girl's shirt.

Touya frowned again. "Don't call them that. Anyway, can you tell me when she has a free period?"

Eriol shrugged. "I don't talk to her. Why? Is she your new target, Casanova? She seems like an innocent lamb. Don't corrupt her innocence."

Touya went purple in the face. "I'm your soccer captain, Hiiragizawa. Speak to me with respect at all times, both on and off the field."

Eriol grinned. "Hey, am I right or not? Are you trying to get with her already?"

Touya brought his livid face close to Eriol's. "Hiiragizawa, she's my sister."

-----

Sakura slammed the door of her locker and began walking to the couches. Her new friends were laughing and giggling over something on the laptop resting in Daine's lap.

"Hey Sakura, babe, check this out." Daine waved at her and patted the seat next to him.

Sakura sat down and looked at the screen. She laughed along with the rest when Meiling Li, the captain of the gymnastics squad, tripped on a roll in the carpet and fell, her books scattering everywhere. Her laughter began to die away in her throat, however, when Syaoran Li, the new sensation of the Boys' Varsity Soccer team, hurriedly ran to her and helped her up. Meiling clung to him and pretended to sob while Syaoran held her close to him.

Kaori pressed the stop button and, still giggling, turned to Sakura. "Wasn't that just hilarious, Sakura?"

Sakura laughed hollowly. Anger burned through her as she said, "Yeah. Meiling is such a klutz. Why the hell is she on the gymnastics team anyway? I bet she falls flat on her ass every time she tries to do a cartwheel."

That set them off into another round of giggles. Rika slapped Sakura a high five. "You're a valuable asset to our clique, Sakura. It's amazing how you're so prim and proper all the time, but you still manage to surprise us with your dashing sense of humor." She winked, her eyelashes fluttering against the dark hair that fell over her eye.

Sakura smiled again. "How'd you guys get the video?"

Kitty grinned. "Daine stole it from the Computer Lab's archives. I think this was from last year. I wonder who filmed it..."

Masao shrugged. "Probably Chika Dae. You know how she's always filming."

"Yeah, it was probably Chika. She's always going on about how she's going to become a movie director one day, like her loser father," Kitty said in a snotty voice.

Daine wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "Kaori and I are going to the cafeteria for some food. You wanna come?"

Sakura noticed Kaori frown slightly. She quickly shook her head and moved away towards Kitty, Masao, and Rika, saying, "No thanks. I want to see the video again."

Daine looked disappointed. "Okay, then I'll get you something, all right?"

"No--"

"It's okay. I'll get you some cherry stuff. See ya, Sakura."

Sakura sat back and sighed.

Rika giggled and nudged Sakura in the ribs. "Hey, hey, hey, Sakura. Daine's got a thing for you."

"Shut up." Sakura elbowed Rika, her cheeks flaming.

Masao shot her a raised eyebrow look. "You've been here for only three weeks, but you've already caught the eye of several individuals, Sakura. Daine is just one of your many victims."

Sakura felt more heat rise to her cheeks. "You're making me sound like a vampire."

-----

"This is your classroom, right?"

Eriol nodded. "Yeah, this is where Tubby teaches."

Touya's jaw dropped. "Dude, you have Tubby? I feel for you."

Tubby, or Mr. Tubs, was the school's hardest and largest teacher. No one had ever gotten anything above a 95 in his class, not even Tomoyo, who had the highest GPA in the entire tenth grade.

Eriol grinned dashingly. "Don't worry, Toya. (Touya cringed at the casual use of his nickname.) Tubsy loooovvves me."

"Yes he does, Mr. Hiiragizawa."

Eriol froze, an almost comical look of fright on his face.

"Class is about to begin, Mr. Hiiragizawa, so I'd appreciate it if you stepped inside. Hello, Mr. Kinomoto."

Touya smiled weakly. Although Tubby had taught him two years ago, he still struck not a small amount of fear into Touya's bones.

"Well, time's being wasted. Come, Mr. Hiiragizawa. Chemistry is far more important than idle chitchat."

Eriol walked past Touya, mouthing, _She's not here yet. Wait for her here. _

Touya nodded, hoping Tubby hadn't seen.

Too bad. He had.

"If you're about to charm a lady into your bed, I suggest you wait until after her Chemistry class, Mr. Kinomoto."

Touya stood red-faced as Tubby and Eriol filed into the room, Eriol sniggering foolishly. Tubby rapped his knuckles smartly on Eriol's head. "Don't laugh at your friend. I'm sure you're a womanizing demon as well."

The last thing Touya saw before the door slammed was Eriol's shocked, white face. Touya smirked a bit. _Serves him right. _

He sighed and sat down to wait, not caring that he was going to be late for his first period class. _I just want to see her...just once. She was only three years old when Mom moved away..._Touya swallowed, banishing the painful memory of his parents' divorce.

He had been waiting for several minutes when two people came running down the hall.

Touya looked up.

"Come on, Daine, we're late!" A dark-haired boy and a red-haired girl forcefully opened the door, stumbling in. Touya heard their muttered apologies.

Touya waited another few moments.

Quiet footsteps came down the hallway.

"Hey...are you okay?"

Touya looked up into dark green eyes.

"You don't have class here, do you?"

The girl had auburn hair now, possibly because of henna dye. But there was no mistaking the gentle, pensive expression.

He had found his sister.


	2. The Second

**Clique **

**Disclaimer:** See my profile page.

**Chapter Two **

Touya continued to stare unbelievingly at her.

"Sakura…" he murmured softly in a halting voice.

Sakura drew away from him, startled. "How do you know who I am?"

He jumped up and held out both hands to her. "I know this is hard for you to take in. This is hard for me too, you know. It's been so long…"

She backed away from him, slightly curious but wary. "What do you mean?"

Touya smiled sadly. "Do you—" he hesitated. "Do you…have any pictures of your father in your house?"

Sakura's face closed in on itself. "It's not any of your business."

Her abrupt, cold words stung him. "Listen, Sakura…I don't know how to say this. I guess I'll just have to tell you straight out: Sakura, I'm your brother, Touya Kinomoto."

Her eyes widened.

"Brother?" she whispered.

Touya nodded, willing her to believe him. After all that he had been through, it would destroy him to have her reject him.

Her brow scrunched in thought and rationalization.

"My mother never mentioned a brother," she said, giving him another skeptical look. His eyes and hair were the exact shade of Belgian chocolate. Without knowing why, a small part of her giggled internally.

Touya sighed. He knew there would be obstacles in getting her to believe him, but it hurt him to see his highly sought-after sister giving him such a calculating look.

"Listen…I knew I would have a hard time convincing you, but you'll just have to take my word for it. Do you have a free D, E, F, or G period?"

Sakura's eyes widened at the prospect of such an empty schedule. "Why are you asking?"

"It's so we can sit down and talk for a while. I want to fully explain my claim to your blood." He prayed she would acquiesce.

Sakura closed her eyes. If she agreed to a meeting, that agreement meant some part of her was acknowledging that this out-of-the-blue claim could be true.

She opened her eyes. There was only one way to find out. Besides, a single free was expendable…

"D period."

Touya grinned with relief. "All right. The Freedman Dome, 11:15."

Sakura fervently hoped she wasn't rushing into some hare-brained plot orchestrated by her peers to humiliate her.

-----

Syaoran's eyes glazed over as he listened to Johnston's ridiculously boring history lecture. His Japanese Modern History teacher was a chain-smoker whose physique would have made a bulimic teenager cry with pride.

Johnston pushed up his owlish glasses and looked around the room. "Any questions?"

"No, Johnston-sensei," the class chorused. No one ever had any questions for him.

He nodded satisfactorily and continued. "Now, after the Meiji Restoration…"

Syaoran's eyes flickered. Next to him, Kenneth was doodling absent-mindedly on the edge of his notebook. Momo jabbed a pen against Syaoran's ribs. He choked, cursing slightly.

"Li-san? Is there something wrong?"

Everyone's eyes riveted onto Syaoran, glad for the temporary distraction. Mansho shot Syaoran a sharp look and put a finger to his lips, indicating his permanent disapproval. Syaoran could imagine the thought running through Mansho's head—_Syaoran Li has been added to my list of Most Hated People for disrupting a History lesson—_Syaoran almost snickered but sobered. He realized everyone was gazing expectedly at him.

"Erm, yes, sensei," he said, forgetting the question. _I'm playing it safe by saying yes, right? _

Johnston frowned and wiped away a drop of perspiration.

"What is the matter?"

Syaoran froze. Kenneth cleared his throat while Momo looked reasonably guilty.

"Erm…sensei…it's just that I choked on a piece of candy I was ingesting," he said. It was important in times like these to sound polite and intellectual.

Johnston coughed, clearing his throat of an ever-present wad of mucus. "Be careful, Li-san. Please try not to disrupt the attention of your peers. The Meiji Restoration is a most fascinating subject."

Syaoran nodded politely. After Johnston had recommenced his long and almost illegally boring lecture, Syaoran rolled his eyes and gagged. _Fascinating my ass. _

Then he shot a stormy glance at Momo, who interpreted Syaoran's look of discontent correctly. _You owe me the day's notes for getting me in trouble, _he was saying, and Momo agreed readily, nodding quickly.

As he turned away, he momentarily caught the avid stare of the girl sitting across from him in the room.

She quickly looked down at her notes and began scribbling rapidly, her cheeks coloring a becoming shade of light pink.

Syaoran continued to stare at her after she had looked down. He lazily recalled that the girl's name was…Sakuya? No, it was more…generic. Syaoran gave up after several moments of hard thought. All he knew was that her name started with an "S."

She was writing with ever increasing speed, her cheeks heating up even more as the unmerciful object of her attentions was still holding her captive with his gaze.

Syaoran rubbed his chin, blocking out the incessant drone of Johnston's illegally boring lecture. She really was quite pretty, he noted. Was she worth his attention?

His eyes traveled down to her shoes. The leather of her Mary-Janes (somewhere in his mind a voice hissed, "They're a bit too demure, not to mention cheap and middle-class…") was scuffed and worn. Syaoran's eyes rove up her pants (the same voice hissed, "Those jeans are too tight at the ankles. Mayhap they fit her an age ago?") and quickly scanned her shirt (the voice was really showing up quite frequently today, wasn't it? "That blouse would not look good on even for your grandmother, and we know how conservatively she dresses…besides, what's up with the pink flowers plastered so audaciously on the front and back of the shirt?").

Syaoran chose to ignore the voice and instead focused on her face. Dark green eyes stood out on her pale skin. A smile played about his mouth. Her eyes were gems, but the rest of her looked as if it had dressed by the Salvation Army.

With some finality, he decided she wasn't worth his time. _What would the Fashion Police (Meiling, Yuni, Chiharu and Liz) say if they discovered I looking at someone who dresses like a hobo? They'd think my corneas were permanently scarred. _The thought amused him for the rest of the period.

-----

Touya paced the length of the Freedman Dome impatiently.

A model of the night sky was above his head, the light of the artificial stars only slightly muted by the brilliance of the morning light pouring into the room from the floor-to ceiling windows. In the center of the small, circular room, there was a garden of irises on an elevated table of stone. The plaque proudly dedicated the room to Stefan Freedman of "_noble spirit," _as the inscription read. Touya snorted contemptuously. _Noble spirit my ass. All he did was give Seijou a shitload of money._

He stared at his reflection in the wall. Two of the walls were made of mirroring glass, lending the room an odd effect. Touya had always thought the sight of his reflection in the rippling mirrors was slightly disconcerting.

Touya rolled his eyes. What utter rubbish, he thought. Only guests and visitors came in here. Most of the students avoided it, as the quiet room with its minimalist feeling gave them an uncomfortable feeling. Touya glanced up at the moving stars. The school spent thousands of dollars on the lighting every year. Although it was a highly accurate astronomical model, it was most definitely not worth the money. Touya wondered why the school frittered away donations on such useless things as the Dome.

"I've never liked this room."

Touya turned.

Sakura stood there, light illuminating her face. She was gazing determinedly at the miniature garden of irises.

"Neither have I," said Touya, quickly jumping on the chance to bond. "I've always thought it's too expensive to manage and useless. But the school likes to impress important visitors, or so I'm told."

Sakura looked up at the stars. "Still, it's pretty though," she said, a wistful note in her voice.

Touya looked up. Sirius, the Dog Star, was easily one of the brightest stars on the model. "Are you interested in Astronomy?"

Sakura shrugged. "Not really, career-wise, I mean. I just like to look at the constellations."

"Ah. I take it you're not a science-oriented person?" Touya asked, trying not to sound condescending.

Sakura raised a slim, light brown brow. "How do you know?"

_Don't say it…_ "It's just…" Touya hesitated. "It's just that you look too nice to be a scientific-oriented person." _You idiot. _

Sakura almost laughed. He was trying too hard, she thought amusedly. _You're a liar. _"Well, you're accurate in that I have absolutely no ambitions to be a scientist. But discussion of my future career paths isn't the reason I came here."

Touya exhaled, slightly pleased she was getting straight to the point after the preliminaries. "Sakura, there's a history between our mother and father that you do not know about. You were too young, only three years old, when…" Touya hesitated. It seemed as if he had been hesitating this entire day… He took a breath. "Our father, Kinomoto Fujitaka, had an…affair with our mother's cousin—"

Sakura closed her eyes.

Touya continued remorselessly, "But…although it seemed like an affair, it really wasn't. Our mother's cousin's husband had just died, leaving her a widow and our second cousin half an orphan. Our father went to console her. Although she had been against our parents' marriage, she welcomed him that day with open arms. My guess is she was too grieved to hold a grudge against our father."

Touya looked at his sister. She was staring at him, as if she was seeing him for the first time.

"Continue…" Sakura whispered. Despite the fact that her brain was screaming out insults at him for telling her such things, she was still intrigued and half-believing him.

Touya took a deep breath and continued. "Father stayed with her for a long time. He told me that he held her while she cried, and he patted her back. He thought that our two families could slowly reconcile in time. But he was wrong."

Touya stopped. The next part would be hard for him to relate to his little sister.

"Our father continued to visit her, daily, for hours at a time. Our mother did not know what he was doing, because he didn't tell her. He thought that since he himself had caused the rift between our mother and her dear cousin, he should be the one to mend that rift. But he was erroneous in his deception of our mother, because he told her he was going to the university. Yet in reality, he was taking food to our mother's cousin and comforting her.

"One day, our mother found out. She had followed him secretly one day and had tracked him to her cousin's mansion. Heartbroken, she had returned home once she discovered where he had been spending his days. Upon his return home, she demanded a divorce. Our father argued with her, and they fought for several weeks. Finally, he agreed to her demand, although he had done nothing wrong in consoling her cousin.

"Then you and Mother moved away. She gained custody of you, while Father kept me. They cut off contact with each other. And I…I haven't seen either you or Mother. It's been so long, Sakura. Twelve years."

Story finished, Touya watched Sakura for her reaction. Her eyes were fixated on a spot on the floor.

Without raising her eyes, she spoke in a clear, cold voice. "I don't believe any of that…that drivel. Our father—no, Kinomoto—was clearly a scumbag. He was definitely holding an affair with that…that cow, that seductress!!"

Touya held out both hands, attempting to calm her.

Sakura ranted on, "She's a husband-stealer, a home wrecker!! She stole Kinomoto from our family, and right after her own husband died!! And besides, how do I even know you're telling me the truth about my family? Mother never mentioned a father or a brother!"

Touya felt himself beginning to heat up. His hands shaking slightly with anger, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo of his sister.

"_Sakura: age eight,_" he read clearly and coldly off the back. "Do you see this? I went to the office of the social worker and got this. She told me you were coming to Seijou this year, on account of your academic merits. Would I be able to fabricate this? Would I? Besides, if you want, we can take a DNA test. I'll pay for it."

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Fine, then. We can do just that. I also want to introduce you to my mother. She should be able to recognize her own son."

Touya raised his chin. "Of course she will. She will know me."

Sakura caught the almost imperceptible waver in his voice. "We'll see. Today, after school then?"

Touya shook his head. "The day after tomorrow. I have a soccer game today, against Junoi."

Sakura noticed the way his head was raised, prideful and arrogant. "You think a lot of your soccer skills, don't you?"

Touya raised his head even higher. "Of course. I'm the captain, you know."

Sakura sneered. "Yeah, sure you're the Captain. Captain of the Junior Varsity team, I presume? That's _really good_, especially for a senior."

Touya bristled, catching the sarcasm. Who knew his sister could be so cheeky? "Varsity, little girl. I was the MVP of the Varsity squad last year. Besides, what do you do outside of academics?"

It was Sakura's turn to raise her head proudly. "I don't do anything outside of academics, but that's because I've just arrived here. Besides, I'll have you know that the school granted me a scholarship."

Touya couldn't stop himself from saying, "Why? Is it because you're too poor to pay full tuition?"

Sakura crimsoned. "That's my mother you're talking about, Kinomoto. She works hard to support me as it is. Besides, I don't think your father can pay full tuition, can he?"

Touya had the grace to color slightly, but he raised his head obstinately. "Actually, he can. He pays full tuition. And I've been coming to Seijou since kindergarten."

Sakura was slightly stricken. She cast an appraising look over him, and her nose flared in disgust. "You're one of them. The super rich people, I mean. The ones who think they own the school and act as if everyone else is beneath their 600 dollar shoes."

Touya cringed self-consciously under her lashing words. "That's not true, we're not that bad," he said feebly, thinking of himself, Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa. "We're not all like that."

Sakura had turned away from him. She was facing the door as she said, "I really hope you're not my brother. I wouldn't want some rich, worthless bastard to be related to me." Then she walked out the door, her footsteps echoing in the distance.

Touya felt the need to justify himself and his father. He said aloud, to the empty room, "You could have come here too, earlier in your life. Dad could have supported both of us. He wanted to, even after they divorced. But Mom cut off all contact with us. She just wouldn't accept his money."

Then he too left the Dome after another glance at the stars. They twinkled aimlessly, drifting in the indigo sky.

-----

Tomoyo pulled off her shirt in the locker room.

"Hey, 'Moyo, do you have some Chapstick? My lips keep getting dry."

"Sure," Tomoyo said, reaching into the pocket of her skirt and handing Meiling the slim tube. She then reached into the locker and pulled on her volleyball jersey.

"Thanks," the ruby-eyed girl said. Her hair was in two neat braids, and she had already changed into her uniform. She pressed the wax to her lips and applied some liberally.

"God, just looking at this pink tube reminds me of Amamiya's fashion." Meiling chortled and handed the Chapstick back to its owner.

Tomoyo frowned slightly. "Amamiya? Who's that?"

Meiling grinned. "Sakura Amamiya. You don't know her? How can you not? She's the ultimate fashion disaster. I don't even know how she managed to attact several guys with her horrible fashion sense."

Tomoyo quirked an eyebrow. "So…whom has she managed to attract?" she asked nonchalantly.

Meiling sniffed. "Daine Oyama."

Tomoyo stifled a laugh. "You're still into Daine?"

Meiling sighed dreamily. "Yeah. He's so hot, you know. That last hook up in the broom closet was the steamiest—"

Tomoyo laughed. "And…when was this steamy hook up?"

Meiling chewed her lip. "Don't laugh, 'Moyo. It was last winter."

As Tomoyo giggled into the palm of her hand, Meiling assumed a wounded look. "I said don't laugh, 'Moyo. The chemistry between us is obvious. It's just that Amamiya has come into the picture…"

"You still haven't told me what Amamiya looks like," Tomoyo said, pulling off her skirt and stepping into her uniform shorts.

"Well," Meiling said as she pulled a brush through Tomoyo's inky hair, "She has green eyes, like a jealous demon. Her hair is auburn. It makes her look as if her head is on fire."

"Oh," said Tomoyo, comprehension dawning on her. "I know who you're talking about. She's in Kenneth, Momo, and Syaoran's History class. Just today Liz was attacking her fashion sense, Meiling. You don't need to say anything more," she said as she recalled Liz's comments disapprovingly.

Meiling frowned as she pulled Tomoyo's hair into a sleek ponytail. "How does Liz know what Amamiya dresses like? They don't have any classes together."

Tomoyo smiled. "I did say Kenneth's in Amamiya's History class."

"Ah," Meiling said. "Well, I'm sure Kenneth tells Liz many things…with his tongue…" The two girls giggled.

-----

Eriol slapped Yoshi's hand. "Yeah!! We beat them!!" The two boys jumped into the air and joined the rest of the team in hugging Syaoran and Touya.

Syaoran's face turned dark red as several arms wrapped themselves around his neck. "Must…breathe," he said, struggling away from the crowd.

"Good job, Syaoran," Eriol said, clapping him hard on the back.

"Thanks," Syaoran said, gulping down air and massaging his neck. "Come on, let's go to the gym. Meiling and Tomoyo's game should have finished by now."

-----

Tomoyo stared into the eyes of her opponent, her gaze unwavering and hard.

It was Meiling's turn to serve the ball. She dribbled the ball on the hardwood floor, her braids swinging.

_Come on, Meiling…if you can score a point we'll win this,_ Tomoyo thought desperately.

Meiling hit the ball with more force than Tomoyo could ever have warranted.

_Yes! _Tomoyo thought, then gasped as the ball came flying straight back over the net. She met the eyes of her defiant opponent, and then gritted her teeth as a fellow sophomore sent it back with less-than proficient strength.

Their opponents were gathering strength now, putting their flawless technique into play. Tomoyo watched as Osaka High School's star player hit the ball over the net.

Several Seijou players hit the ball in response, and it flew back over the net. For a few moments, all that could be heard in the gymnasium was the sound of forceful thumps against the leather-bound ball. Finally, the ball landed out of bounds.

Tomoyo nearly bit her nails in frustration. It was Osaka's turn to serve, and their star player was already thumping the ball on the floor.

"Come on, Tomoyo! Meiling! You guys can do this!!"

Surprised, Tomoyo's head swiveled to the almost-empty sidelines. Eriol and Syaoran were sitting there, looking tired, sweaty and disheveled but satisfied. Catching her eye, Syaoran waved, looking determined. She cast a glance at Eriol, who winked, smiling. Tomoyo grinned, glad for their support. Then she mouthed a silent "thank you" in their direction.

Turning her attention back to the game, Tomoyo followed the path of the ball as it curved gracefully in the air. It was heading straight for her.

She rushed to meet it, hitting the ball forcefully and skillfully. It landed right in front of her opponent, who looked stunned.

"Game!" The referee shouted as the timer buzzed. "Seijou wins, 16-15!"

Tomoyo grinned as she and Meiling embraced each other, jumping for joy. It had been a tough match, and they had barely won, scraping by with a mere point.

"Good game," Coach Yanagisawa said, heading towards them, his face slightly white. He grasped their arms and said, in a relieved voice, "I'm proud of you both."

Tomoyo and Meiling glowed. "Thank you, Coach," they chorused. Then they turned towards the sidelines to see a happy Syaoran and Eriol. Leaving behind the excited murmur of their teammates' voices, they headed towards the benches.

"Good game, guys," Syaoran said. He hugged both Meiling and Tomoyo. "You did it, Tomoyo; you clinched the victory for Seijou."

"Thanks," Tomoyo said, hugging him back. Meiling cleared her throat indignantly. Leaving Syaoran to deal with his spirited cousin, Tomoyo giggled and turned away to greet Eriol.

"Hey," she said casually, "did you guys win?"

Eriol smiled. "Yeah. Syaoran and Touya kicked the crap out of them."

Tomoyo laughed. "But it was your defense that helped Seijou a lot too."

Eriol chuckled. "True, true. You're always the fair one, Tomoyo. But it was also your move that saved Seijou in the game here."

Tomoyo shrugged modestly, true to her nature. "It was nothing. Everyone else played their best today."

"Or so it would seem," Eriol said cryptically.

Tomoyo swallowed slightly. He always seemed to be able to see right through her, even as a five year old. Had he noticed the frustration on her face when her fellow teammate had hit the ball weakly?

"Well," she said, attempting to appear unruffled by his comment, "I would never have been able to send it flying back without your encouragement."

Eriol shook his head gently. He touched his hand to her cheek. "For once, accept it, Tomoyo. It's okay to feel accomplished and acknowledge praise when you've done well." His fingers were dry and cool on her flushed skin.

Tomoyo froze. Eriol took his hand away and turned to Syaoran and Meiling, who were immersed in a heated discussion of the game's tactics. "Come on, guys. Syaoran, call your Mom's limo. I want to go home."

Syaoran and Meiling immediately stopped their discussion. Syaoran whipped out his cell phone and dialed his limo's driver.

"Wei? Hey, I'm still at school," Syaoran said. "I know it's late, that's why I'm calling you. Can you pick me up? All right, we'll be at the front of the school. Please hurry."

To the rest of them, Syaoran said, "Come on guys, let's go." They jumped off the benches and walked out of the gym.

While they were on campus and walking towards the entrance, Eriol clicked his tongue. "Hmm, that's not right, Syaoran. You shouldn't be so callous and demanding to Wei."

Syaoran bristled. "'Callous'? I'm not callous!"

As the two boys began one of their usual arguments, Meiling, who had been walking behind the two boys, nudged Tomoyo. "Hey…I saw something going on between you and Eriol…"

Tomoyo feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Meiling grinned. "Oh come on, you guys would make a perfect couple…" her voice trailed off.

Tomoyo shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. What about you and Syaoran?"

Meiling brushed her comment aside impatiently. "Nah, I fight too much with him. I might flirt with him, but it doesn't mean anything."

"Yeah…right," Tomoyo said, amused.

They bickered the rest of the way to the entrance.


	3. The Third

**Clique**

**Disclaimer: **See my profile page.

**Chapter Three **

Meiling yawned and put down her pencil. Glancing at the clock, she blinked rapidly.

_It's 10:00? Already? _

She sighed and stared at the chemical equations on the page. None of them made any sense to her. _How the hell do you balance this equation? There aren't enough oxygen molecules to balance out the hydrogen ones…_

Frustrated, Meiling slammed her book shut and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed her friends' phone numbers one by one, but she received either busy signals, or their phones were off. Finally, Yuni picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Yuni, what's up?"

"Not much. How was the game?"

Meiling grinned. "We won, due to Tomoyo's life-saving scoring ability."

"Wow, Tomoyo's awesome."

"Yeah, she really is."

"She's inhumanely perfect. She's on the school newspaper—"

"—She's the Vice-President of the Knitting Club—"

"—The Vice-President of Fashionistas United—"

"—She's on the Varsity Volleyball team—"

"—She's one of the most popular girls—"

"—All the guys dig her—"

"—And she has the highest GPA in the entire grade!! How the hell does she do all these things?"

Meiling shrugged. "Ask her. But anyway, did anything funny come up during the day?"

Yuni giggled. "You'll never guess. Did Momo, Liz, Syaoran or Kenneth tell you anything?"

Meiling shook her head. "Nope. Not really. Besides, Liz and I don't have any classes together. What happened?"

Yuni nearly went into hysterics. "Nothing eventful, really. It was just History class with Johnston. (Meiling cringed.) Syaoran was staring into space when Momo poked him in the ribs. He coughed, and Johnston noticed. You know how Johnston isn't really strict; it was over in a second." Here Yuni and Meiling paused to giggle, thinking of Syaoran's History teacher.

"Anyway," Yuni resumed her story, "so Syaoran catches that little red-headed shrimp, Amamiya Sakura staring at him—"

Meiling gasped. "Amamiya Sakura was ogling Syaoran?"

Yuni went into one of her famous giggling spasms. For a few moments, Meiling stewed in contemplative disgust/anger while Yuni continued to giggle soundlessly.

"So after Syaoran sees her staring at him," Yuni gasped, still giggling sporadically, "he starts to examine her clothing. You know what he thinks? He thinks she looks as if she was dressed by the Salvation Army!" She went into a giggling spasm again.

Meiling laughed. After a few moments, Yuni came back onto the line. "Isn't that just hilarious, Mei Mei?"

Meiling smirked. "Syaoran really has quite a wit, Yuni. I'm glad you told me that. But just imagine…Syaoran being stared at by Amamiya, of all people! God, just thinking about his being stared at by that…thing would turn off any girl who wanted to do him." The two girls giggled.

-----

Tomoyo sighed as Chiharu continued to rant.

"—'Moyo, she was wearing a shirt covered with bright pink flowers today! That's atrocious. No one else our age wears ANYTHING like that! Plus, she's so annoying. She's always laughing and giggling with her little friends. And, when anyone gets hurt, she's always trying to make him feel better. What a fake little—"

Tomoyo interrupted. "Don't say the word. You know I hate it," she said brusquely.

She heard a rush of static as Chiharu sighed. "But 'Moyo…Amamiya is an unseemly blot on our school."

Tomoyo laughed at these words. "Whom does she hang out with?"

Chiharu made a disgusted noise. "The middle people. You know, the ones who are loud and punk."

Tomoyo smiled. "Ah. You mean the group with Kaori, Rika, and Daine?"

"Yeah. The ones who think they're all _respectable and morally upright_."

Tomoyo grinned slightly. "It's too bad I don't have any classes with Amamiya. I really would like to get to know her, especially since I've heard so many of you speak of her."

Chiharu gasped. "Oh noooooooo, 'Moyo, you'd be scarred for life. I told you, her clothes are hideous! They're plain, cheap, and granny-like. They're also—"

"—Plain, cheap and poverty-like," Tomoyo finished for her. "Yeah, I heard the exact same comments from Liz earlier today, and Meiling was talking about her too. Do me a favor, darling, go do your Chemistry homework, okay?"

"Okay," Chiharu said immediately. "I'm so lucky to have a real friend like you, 'Moyo. Thanks for reminding me of Tubsy's Chemistry homework. It'll be a real pain though…" Her voice faded.

Tomoyo shook her head although she knew Chiharu couldn't see her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Haru." Translation: _You can't copy my Chemistry homework this time. _

"Okay, 'Moyo. Have a good night!" Translation: _That's perfectly fine, dear. You're still my idol. I love you!! _

Because they had been bosom buddies since the tender age of four, Tomoyo and Chiharu knew the underlying meanings of each other's sentences perfectly.

After she had hung up the phone, Tomoyo pushed her hair away from her face and sighed. Sometimes she thought all of her childhood friends (with the exception of Meiling, Syaoran and Eriol) were impossibly stupid, selfish, and nasty. But she supposed it was the price of growing up around so many luxuries and having their every whim granted. Besides, they had been her friends since she was four years old and knew every embarrassingly intimate detail about her. Although they could be quite a pain in her rear end, Tomoyo knew she loved them and could never part with them.

She flipped open her Chemistry book and began reading tomorrow's lesson, jotting down notes and answering all of the homework questions. Tomoyo was a girl who always prepared in advance. She blinked rapidly and yawned, closing her eyes.

_Knock knock. _

"Come in," Tomoyo said.

A large bouquet of flowers preceded the dark-haired boy who entered the room.

Tomoyo stared, stunned, as Touya Kinomoto grinned from behind the floral arrangement.

"Here's to the lovely lady who can slam a volley ball," he said. From behind his back he produced a vase and placed the flowers carefully into it. He then walked across the room and placed the vase and the flowers on her night table.

Tomoyo stared at him, dazed. "How did you get in? How did you know about volleyball?"

Touya smiled as he walked back towards her. He pulled on a lock of her hair. "First, ask one question at a time. Second, I got in because your maid let me in. She seemed to think we're going to do some hanky-panky, because she winked at me. Lastly, how could I not know about your volleyball triumph? Everyone was talking about it after you left."

Tomoyo got up, carefully pulling her hair away from Touya's grasping fingers. She pretended not to notice the slightly wounded look on his face and crossed the room to her night table. She stared at the flowers, transfixed. Touya had brought her twelve flowers, eight tiger lilies and four white lilies. She touched a bright orange red petal delicately.

Smiling, she turned to face him. He looked nervous, she noted, but brightened at her smile.

"Thank you," she said. "But it's a bit unconventional, isn't it, to give me lilies?"

"Well…" said Touya, his voice coy and flirty, "it's just that…you remind me of lilies."

Amused, Tomoyo played along with him. She had forgotten how good he looked, with his hair falling slightly into his eyes. "How so, Touya?"

Touya felt his heart leap slightly at the way she said his name. He began walking slowly towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Lilies…are beautiful, Tomoyo. The white lilies represent your angelic sweetness and purity…but the tiger lilies represent your fiery, bad girl streaks."

Tomoyo almost laughed at his mawkish and hackneyed language. She idly wondered how many other girls he had caught with his insidious words. He was getting ever closer to her, his eyes still locked on hers.

"Why, Touya…I never knew you were such a poet," she murmured to him. He was standing directly in front of her now. Tomoyo averted her gaze from his eyes, her heart dancing the conga. She didn't want to see the painfully obvious lust in his eyes.

Touya's hand found her chin and tilted her face up to his, eyes searching. She stared at his pants, heat rising to her cheeks.

Tomoyo felt his head bending down slowly. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been separated from her own body and was watching herself from above.

She saw Touya's mouth connect with her own. She saw herself respond slowly, fighting his seduction, but finally giving in to her own pent-up lust. She saw her hands snake up to his neck and pull him closer, deepening their kiss. Meanwhile he had buried his hands in her hair. She saw, rather than felt, herself emit a soft moan. A small part of her laughed, remembering other things Touya had done with her…

It felt wonderful. He still kissed impressively…Suddenly Tomoyo recalled watching him make out with a drunk, half-naked senior girl at a party last year…ignoring the rational part of her mind that was watching her from afar, Tomoyo pressed herself even closer to him. Mmm…his hair smelled good…its scent reminded her of the boys on the soccer team—

Eriol and Syaoran. What would they say if they found out she was kissing their captain and one of Seijou's most infamous playboys? Besides, Eriol was—

Tomoyo gasped and pulled away, bumping into her night table.

Touya's hands grasped empty air.

"Come on, 'Moyo," he whispered, his hands finding their way to her shoulders. They entangled themselves again in her hair.

Tomoyo shook his hands from his shoulders. She stepped around him and glared at him.

"What now, Touya? Why are you here? Can't you go find some blonde slut?" Tomoyo spat the words at him, feeling a guilty pleasure as his eyes shifted from lustful to hurt.

Touya would have grasped her again, but Tomoyo had back up against her desk and had her hand on her cell phone. "Listen carefully. I'm going to call my security guards if you don't leave right now. Oh, and just to let you know, Touya? I don't want you near me. Ever again. Do you understand? I'll get a restraining order if I have to."

Touya's mouth dropped open.

"We're over, Touya. Actually, we were over a long time ago after that one brief hook-up at Chiharu's party. Get out. NOW!!" she said when Touya continued to stand there, stone-like. He flinched. Then, with a last lingering look at Tomoyo, he turned and left her room.

After he left, Tomoyo stood there for a long time, her hand on her cell phone. Finally, she giggled.

She walked to her night table and opened the window. Smiling, she picked up the vase and held it out the window, looking at the sham for the last time.

She dropped it.

Tomoyo waited for the satisfying crash.

Glass shattered on the pavement and water poured onto the ground. Twelve flowers lay scattered on the concrete, rattled and shocked.

-----

Tomoyo's eyes snapped open.

Gasping, she rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock. The luminescent numbers read 12:15.

Burying her face in her hands, she recalled the vivid dream. Everything had been so...real, especially the flowers.

Blushing, she tried not to relive the moment with...Kinomoto. Her cheeks flaming, she slapped her head to the textbook and nearly cried out in frustration.

_Seems as if I'm STILL not over him…_

-----

Sakura toyed with her food.

Nadeshiko was reading the newspaper. Suddenly, she calmly put a page down and threw it onto the floor.

Sakura jumped. She looked at the page, slightly crumpled and torn.

"_Dr. Kinomoto Fujitaka explored the newly discovered temple yesterday…"_ The rest of the article went on to describe his findings and Fujitaka Kinomoto's accomplishments. Sakura narrowed her eyes. Kinomoto was apparently a highly respected professor at Tokyo University. He was also an archeologist.

Her eyes locked onto a particular paragraph. "_Dr. Kinomoto's son, Kinomoto Touya, currently attends the Upper Division of the prestigious academy Seijou Preparatory School. When asked of his son's living arrangements, Dr. Kinomoto laughed and said, "My son is a very responsible young man. I let him live by himself in a modest apartment in downtown Tomoeda, where his school is located, since it would be impossible for him to commute every day from our home in Tokyo to Tomoeda. He is a straight-A student and is also captain of the Boys Varsity Soccer team." _

Sakura's breath quickened. Touya lived in an apartment by himself, downtown? _Modest apartment my ass,_ she thought grimly. _Downtown is where all the rich bastards live…_

"Finish your soup, Sakura," Nadeshiko looked at her daughter and smiled. She reached over and smoothed her daughter's bangs away from her eyes. "Is something bothering you? You're usually so hungry at this time…you're not sick, are you?"

Sakura bit her lip.

Nadeshiko gave her daughter a knowing look. "Sakura…I'm your mother. I know when something is bothering you…"

Sakura crimsoned. Her mother had always been amazingly perceptive…she thought of the conversation she had had with Kinomoto earlier this day…

"Okaa-san?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

Sakura took a deep breath.

"Okaa-san…do you know Dr. Kinomoto Fujitaka?"

At those words, Nadeshiko's demeanor took an abrupt change. Her eyes became darker and narrowed slightly.

"Why are you asking of him?" she asked, regarding Sakura warily.

Sakura swallowed. A part of her was not surprised at her mother's actions. She felt disappointed; her mother's expression was acknowledging a widening possibility…

"It's just that…" she hesitated, and then blurted out, "Some boy at school told me that he's my father!"

At those words, Nadeshiko's eyes seemed to shut down.

Sakura swallowed.

Nadeshiko was looking at Sakura, but not seeing her. Her eyes had gained that far-seeing, vacant expression most got when reliving the past. The life seemed to have drained from her face. Shakily, Nadeshiko placed her head into her hands, covering her face from Sakura's view.

Sakura could not help but stare, as difficult as it was to see her usually calm and reserved mother lose control. But she had to know. All those years, her mother had kept up a pretense that she had no father, that her father had left them long ago, and that therefore she should keep quiet about the subject. Sakura had always accepted her mother's denial of the existence of a father, but now, she wanted the farce to be discarded.

Nadeshiko pulled her hands away from her face and wiped her face with a napkin. Stricken, Sakura stared.

Nadeshiko stood up and gestured. "Sakura, I think it's time for us to have a talk."

-----

Sakura sat down on a moth-eaten cushion. Her mother sat next to her, blowing her nose.

Nadeshiko took Sakura's hand in her own.

"Sakura…I know I should have told you this a long time ago, but I…I was too…insecure and…and…afraid. I was afraid of what would have happened if I had told you that Kinomoto Fujitaka, an affluent and prominent member of the archeological community, was your biological father. I was afraid of losing you—"

At those words, Sakura shook her head vehemently. "I would never go live with that…that bastard! After what he did to you in having an affair with your own cousin? What kind of a man and a woman would do that? Only a vindictive bitch and a heartless bastard would do that!!!"

Nadeshiko grabbed both of Sakura's hands and looked her in the eye, saying, "Sakura! Never utter such language again. Do you understand? Never again in front of me, or anyone for that matter. But listen, Sakura. I have to admit that I have been selfish. This is the best I have been able to offer you…" She gestured at the dismal, faded carpet and the peeling wallpaper. "I know that if you go to live with your father, he will be able to supply you with a better home, materialistically at least—"

Sakura jumped up from the couch and snatched her hands from her mother's.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Then Sakura said, quietly, "Okaa-san…you have said some things tonight that have hurt me deeply. You've assumed that I would allow my father's lure of wealth and materialistic things draw me away from you. But I would never be able to live with him, knowing that he had betrayed you. You've worked so hard, and everything you've done has been for me. If I went to live with Kinomoto, I'd be betraying you as well."

When Sakura finished, Nadeshiko sighed. She did not say anything, but merely wrapped her daughter in her arms.

Sakura embraced her mother, enveloping Nadeshiko's frailness. She was determined to never leave her mother.

-----

Nadeshiko's apartment was located in a quiet and poor Tomoeda neighborhood. The buildings had the whiff of a damp and slightly dilapidated structure, complete with murky hallways and dirtied marble floors. The stairs were unevenly constructed, and some steps were missing. Most people took the elevator, which was old, creaky, and somewhat…shady. In recent weeks, however, someone had taken the liberty of installing a large and powerful light in the elevator: a lamp had been attached to the ceiling, by means of Super Glue. Tenant happiness had been increased by not a small fraction.

Nadeshiko worked in a grocery store for eight hours a day, pruning and trimming the lettuce and asparagus. She and the other inhabitants of the building wore the same jaded and glazed look, their eyes reflecting the light of passing time.

However, she had what most of the other tenants did not: a daughter. Because there was only one bedroom, mother and daughter shared it, hardly quarreling over space. Nadeshiko slept on the floor and Sakura on a rather knobby mattress.

Nadeshiko gave everything to her daughter. After her painful divorce with Fujitaka, she had become emotionally dead, leaving even her emotions and once-sunny disposition to Sakura. Her daughter was the only reason she worked so hard day and night, shearing off the dark, secret, rotten parts from lettuce leaves.

-----

The next day in school, Touya paid no attention in his classes, preferring to stare out the window at the blustery September day. He snickered now, watching the wind blow up the skirts of several girls. _Oooohhh…_his mind wandered to dirty and guttery subjects.

"Kinomoto! Pay attention!" His AP Physics teacher stood in front of him, slapping a well-aimed ruler onto the desk, right next to his hand.

Touya blinked and returned to the mundane workings of Physics teachers' minds.

"I suppose you know all of this, don't you, Kinomoto?" His large and beefy teacher scowled at him and rolled up his sleeves.

Touya grinned cockily. "_Claro, Senor." _

Dr. Tach scowled. "Fine, then." Hoping to embarrass his overly confident student, he quizzed Touya for five minutes flat.

Touya answered all the questions perfectly, raising an imperious eyebrow at his increasingly flustered teacher.

"Fine. Fine," Tach breathed once, deeply. "Come to my office D period. Due to your impudence and _excellent knowledge of the material_ (here Tach glared at Touya ferociously, who grinned cheekily) you will take the Unit 1 test three days early, since you feel no need to review with the rest of us. _Entiende, Senor Kinomoto?_"

Everyone else in the room broke into startled whispers while Touya grinned, impervious to their useless chatter. "I'll be at your office at 11:05 sharp, not a second later."

Tach breathed through his long nose, fervently hoping to draw Touya's soul out of his body in the process. "Fine. Don't forget, Kinomoto."

Touya smiled lazily when his sensei resumed teaching. School had always been a breeze for him. Although his intelligence was quite formidable, Touya always spent his summers studying the next year's curriculum, gleaning as much information as possible. Then when it came time for school in September, everything was relatively easy. That was why he could afford to spend numerous weekends partying and doing other… (ahem)…_activities_.

He tapped his pencil impatiently against the desk, wondering what his dear little sister was doing now. They had agreed to meet after school and go for the genetic test. He frowned slightly. She had seemed distraught this morning…

Shrugging, Touya guessed he would find out after school.

-----

"Yo, Hiragizawa!" Touya called out over the heads of milling students.

Eriol turned. Noticing Touya, he grinned and waved. Then he tapped Chika and Yoji's shoulders, pointing in Touya's direction.

"Hey, Touya," said Eriol, fighting his way towards his soccer captain.

"Hiragizawa, listen," Touya said. "Oh, hey, Chika, Yoji," he said, nodding in their directions.

Yoji grinned. "What's up, Touya. Good game yesterday, I was watching."

"Thanks," Touya said. He had always liked Yoji, who was a decent, respectable kid.

Chika smiled seductively and slid a hand along the length of his arm. "Hey, Touya," she said.

Touya smiled back at her, polite friendliness in his eyes. He knew she was teasing him.

"Anyway, Hiragizawa, tell the gak—I mean, tell Li and anyone else you see from the team that I've cancelled practice for today."

Eriol's eyes widened. "Holy shit, Touya. You aren't drunk or high, are you? Because I told you those brownies Momo made were contaminated—"

Touya waved aside his words impatiently. "Listen, Hiragizawa, I don't want to deal with your foolishness. Just tell your fellow team members, okay?"

Eriol grinned, a wicked light glowing in his eyes. "Will do, Cap'n."

Touya breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Hiragizawa. All right, see you later."

-----

Syaoran felt a towel slapped at his rear end.

"Syaoran, man, we've got it bad," Eriol said, an acceptably regretful expression on his face.

"What?" Syaoran asked, frowning as he pulled on his uniform shorts.

Eriol sighed morosely. "I just heard from Touya that we have two extra hours of practice today. He won't be coming to practice though, because he has some kind of extremely important engagement after school. And you know what's worse? Coach says we have to do what Touya says. Those of us who don't are going to get benched for the next game."

Syaoran choked on his water. He coughed, then straightened and glared at Eriol. "Dude, are you serious?"

Eriol nodded. "I'm deadly serious." He hoped Syaoran would not object further…

Syaoran narrowed his eyes. "Bastard," he muttered.

"Hey!" Eriol cried.

"No, not you, them, Kinomoto and Coach," Syaoran muttered. Then he turned back to his locker, muttering choice words.

Eriol giggled into the palm of his hand and tiptoed off, relaying the message to every other member of the soccer team. Each time he received death threats and dealt with disbelieving teammates. But Eriol stuck to his story and actually managed to squeeze out a tear once (although the ploy was unconvincing).

Finally, after every member of the team had become disheartened at the prospect of a lengthened practice session, Eriol grinned satisfactorily as he opened his sports bag.

_They just might kill me…IF they find out the truth. Oh well, _he thought, _at least this extended practice session will strengthen our abilities. We need to be able to come together as a team. We can't have only two all-star players and a bunch of weaklings._

-----

"Extend your arm, please," the nurse said coolly.

Touya did so, with no wincing or changing of his expression.

The nurse wetted his arm with gauze soaked with alcohol. She slid the needle into his arm.

Blood began coursing rapidly into the waiting glass vial. Touya watched stoically as it filled steadily. He knew Sakura's eyes were on him.

"All finished now," the nurse said. She pulled the needle from his flesh and wiped his skin with alcohol. A little droplet of blood appeared where the needle had been.

Sakura stared at it. It was a perfectly shaped pearl. An unexpected feeling welled in her stomach. She looked into Touya's cool and mocking eyes, then turned away.

"There you go. You're free to go now," the nurse said. "We'll have the results of the blood test and the cheek swabs in two weeks."

Touya stood, unfolding the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt. As he buttoned the sleeves, he noticed Sakura's shoulders were slightly stiff. Ignoring a pang of an unidentifiable emotion, Touya pushed her out into the hallway.

"We're free to go, kaijuu," he muttered. "I want to go see our Okaa-san."

Sakura scowled. How dare he? She stomped his foot. "I am NOT a kaijuu," she growled, glowering.

Touya grinned in spite of himself. "Sure you aren't," he said, dodging a slap.

-----

He hoped his distaste wasn't showing, because he wanted at least to give face to his sister and mother.

The hallway lights were feeble, a weak mockery of the brilliant lights in his own apartment building.

The elevator door opened, and they stepped into it.

Sakura caught him staring at the splintery wood in the elevator. Quickly, he caught her eyes, abashed. He stared at his shoes for the rest of the trip.

They stepped out of the elevator on the fifth floor. Their shoes echoed as Sakura stopped in front of apartment 5-F.

She rang the doorbell.

Touya heard the ruffling, quick steps of slippers and swallowed, locking his eyes on the door. 5-F.

Without knowing why, Sakura caught his hand and gave it a squeeze. He acknowledged it, squeezing her hand back weakly.

The door swung open.

"Sakura! You're late, I thought something had happened—" Nadeshiko stood before them, clad in a pink bathrobe.

She caught sight of Touya and stared.

Sakura cleared her throat. "Okaa-san…do you…recognize who this is?" Her own heart pounded. This would be the final seal on things. Their trip to the clinic had been one part of it; this was the second and more crucial part of it.

There was silence. Nadeshiko and Touya stared at each other, neither moving. Nadeshiko raised a trembling hand towards Touya.

It was she who spoke first.

She squinted her eyes, smiling through her tears. "You know…if I tilt my head like this, I can see Fujitaka. Without the glasses, of course."

While Touya's breath caught in his throat, and Sakura's eyes widened slightly, Nadeshiko's hand touched Touya's face.

"A good mother always recognizes her offspring, even if he's been separated from her for several years and has grown up. I might not have been a good mother, Touya…but I recognize you."

Touya's throat constricted. Eyes burning, he embraced his mother.


	4. The Fourth

**Clique **

**Disclaimer: **See my profile page.

**Chapter Four**

Nadeshiko held her son in her arms, her tears wetting his shoulder.

Touya grasped his mother's body tightly, feeling an electric happiness spread through his body. Although they had been separated for more than twelve years and he had been only a five year old at the time of her departure, he still felt a faint, indelible love for his mother.

Sakura stared, her mouth in an O shape.

_So…it really is true, then,_ she thought. _This beats any DNA test. _

Nadeshiko raised her face from her son's shoulders and smiled up at him, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear.

Touya froze. It was amazing what a simple, tender gesture could do, for Nadeshiko's touch had triggered a stream of memories.

"Okaa-san…" Touya whispered, "I—I remember the last time you did that…it was also the last time I saw you…"

Nadeshiko shook her head fervently, burying her face into his shoulder once again. "Please, don't speak of such things…"

Touya rested his head on his mother's and closed his eyes.

They would have stayed like that for a long time, had Sakura not finally taken charge of the situation. Hesitantly, she approached her brother.

"Hey…um…Touya," she said, tugging gently on his sleeve, "um…it's not good manners to leave a guest at the door, much less a…a family member. Okaa-san, why don't we all go inside?"

Nadeshiko and Touya raised their heads. Nadeshiko chuckled. "Of course, Sakura would remember her manners."

---

Touya had difficulty suppressing his shock.

He had suspected his mother and sister were not well off, financially, but he had had no idea, no mental preparation for this…

"Tea, Touya?" Nadeshiko was holding out a steaming cup.

"Ye-yes, Okaa-san," Touya said, stuttering slightly, his face flaming as he accepted the tea. He was sure his mother had seen him peeking at the stained wallpaper.

Sakura eyed Touya's flaming face but chose to remain silent.

"So…" Nadeshiko said, after an uncomfortable and awkward silence, "now that our family has been reunited, I believe some change is going to take place, am I correct?"

Touya nodded, eyes lowered. "Yes. Okaa-san, you have not changed your mind about Ot—"

"No."

Shocked, Touya stared.

Nadeshiko's eyes were narrowed, the tips of her fingers white as she clutched the teacup.

Touya swallowed. It seemed as though his mother's mind was firmly made up. "Then…you will permit me to do whatever is necessary?"

Nadeshiko nodded. She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Yes. It is because I will not reconcile with him that separation must take place."

Sakura was confused.

Touya smiled bitterly. "You will not listen to his side of the story, still?"

Nadeshiko shook her head.

Touya laughed mirthlessly. "Separation will not take place, Okaa-san. You either come with me, or I will not take Sakura."

Nadeshiko's eyes flew to Touya's face. "No!" she cried, her face wild. "Touya, you must take Sakura. She will have such better facilities…"

It clicked.

Sakura jumped to her feet and screamed, "NO! Okaa-san, I will not allow you to do this! I won't go!"

Nadeshiko snapped, "Calm yourself, Sakura. I am thinking of you, do you understand?"

Touya smiled thinly. "Okaa-san, you are laboring under the delusion that I will take Sakura."

Nadeshiko stared. "Touya, you will. I am begging you. Okaa-san is begging you, Touya…" Tears created a film in her eyes.

Touya looked away.

After what seemed like an eternity, Touya finally nodded. "Fine…Okaa-san…"

Nadeshiko smiled. "Sakura, you will go with him."

---

The taxi driver looked at them from the rearview mirror.

"A broken heart, eh?" He leered at Sakura's splotchy face.

Touya sent him a glare, death implicit in his gaze.

The driver quickly placed his eyes on the road.

They had left Nadeshiko's apartment with nothing more than a suitcase filled with Sakura's sparse belongings. It was beyond words to describe Sakura's parting with their mother, though she maintained that Sakura could still visit her, and that such a separation was temporary…

Sakura's moving into his apartment downtown was a double-edged sword, Touya reflected. On the one hand, he would be united with his sister…but on the other hand, that same sister was now restricting him…

He glanced over at her. Her profile was covered by shadow, and he caught an occasional sniffle from her.

Something arose within Touya then, some instinct greater than the visceral need to reproduce. He had never felt this feeling as strong as he felt it now…he had never felt this, not even for his father. Staring at her profile, Touya felt the overwhelming desire to protect. To protect and jealously guard this…this girl, with her slim and trim figure, from any harm. He felt the desire to place her in an ivory castle, in the highest tower, to protect her from harm.

Stirred by this desire, Touya grabbed her hand and clutched it tightly. He felt her look at him.

Sakura squeezed her brother's hand slightly.

And that was that.

They sat holding hands for the rest of the car ride.

---

Syaoran got up and stretched languorously, yawning and rubbing his hair. He stared at the mirror, flexing his muscles. He winced.

_Fuckin' Touya…making us do more practice than usual…_Syaoran growled slightly at this injustice.

The Boys Varsity Soccer Team had spent more than four hours practicing yesterday in the rain. Syaoran and Eriol had taken charge, Syaoran being the best offensive player and Eriol being the best defensive player. It had felt strange, drilling and giving orders to second and third years, correcting their footing and snickering at their ineptitude. Interestingly enough, the rain had galvanized their practice rather than dampened it. Syaoran had witnessed the slight, gradual improvement of each player under his and Eriol's guidance, and the team had further solidified its bonds with each other. Seasoned veterans had helped the rookies, and everyone had been encouraging. It had been, perhaps, one of their best training sessions. But that still didn't stop Syaoran from grousing at his Captain for making them practice so long.

He stalked into the bathroom, yawning as he picked up a comb.

He had just finished untangling one of his most stubbornly tangled knots when the door burst open.

Syaoran nearly dropped the comb.

Bernadette, one of the Lis' many maids, walked into the bathroom with a towel and pajamas in hand. Seeing him standing there, however, frozen and with a comb in hand, she squealed.

"Oh, Master Li," she said breathily, "I am so so sorry. Eet seems zat all of ze drains in ze other bathrooms are plugged, and as I 'ad no other place to take my shower, I deecided to come in here…" She gestured helplessly in his direction.

Syaoran smiled, his lips wobbling. Bernadette, their new French maid, was, to put it bluntly, a slut. It seemed as if she had taken a fancy to her new young master lately, and was taking every opportunity to walk in on him in dishabille…

Bernadette batted her sooty eyelashes. "You don't mind eef I take one, do you?"

Syaoran coughed, moving to one side and waving at the shower stall with his comb. "Go right ahead, Bernadette," he said, bowing himself out with as much grace as a llama.

"I'll, uh, close the door for you, okay?" Syaoran immediately shut the door in Bernadette's pouting face, her plan having been foiled.

He breathed hard, leaning on the door. _God…that girl is a pain in the ass…_

-----

Touya knocked softly on the door.

After they had come home last night, Sakura had gone straight to sleep, refusing any offers on Touya's part to acquaint her with the apartment. Touya had placed her suitcase and bag in the second bedroom, which had more of a feminine air than all the other bedrooms. She had immediately flopped down on the bed and buried her face in the pillow, effectively shutting out her brother.

"Sakura," Touya said, knocking gently against the door, "are you going to get up today? Because if you're not, I can call in sick for you—"

The door flew open.

Shocked, Touya backed away from the door.

Sakura stood there, fully dressed. Her bag hung from her shoulder. Purple shadows stained the margins of her eyes. Although she looked tired, there was a steely determination in her green eyes. "Who said I wasn't going to school today? Whoever said that should take his head out of his ass."

Touya's mouth nearly dropped open. "Uh…I just assumed that—"

"Well," Sakura snapped, cutting him off, "you assumed wrong. I'm not going to be a coward and hide in my room all day long."

Touya stood numbly as she shoved past him.

He whistled. _Dayum…_

-----

Sakura sliced her French toast viciously.

"Here's syrup," Touya said, passing the bottle to her. He had learned to step lightly around her, as Sakura was plainly not in her best mood. Although he knew Sakura's touchy mood was partly due to her determination to conceal her hurt and sadness from him, he couldn't help but wonder whether some of this was due to PMS…

Touya groaned. What would he do if Sakura had PMS? He didn't know how to deal with that! Then he immediately made note to tell the maid to buy some pads, or whatever it was that girls used…

Sakura was stuffing the food into her mouth, chomping down on the toast mercilessly. Touya watched, fascinated as she stuffed an entire slice into her mouth, cheeks bulging as she slashed the food with, what he could have sworn, were razor-sharpteeth.

Then he quickly stopped himself. His sister was not the monster in a horror movie, nor was he the victim. Shaking his head, he picked up his fork and knife.

"What!" Sakura had finished swallowing her toast. She was glaring at him again, her eyes barbs of resentment. "Why the fuck are you looking at me, bitch?"

Touya reeled. His sister, the Virgin incarnate, had just spouted an _entire sentence_ that would have merited an R rating, had this been a film. Something was definitely wrong. He began, "Sakura—"

"Listen, shitface, just because I allowed you to hold my hand in the car does not mean squat! Let's get this clear, bozo, you took me away from my mother without my consent. And now, you're trying to bond with me! You motherfuckin' kidnapper, I won't get a case of Stockholm Syndrome, I won't bond with someone I hate, I won't betray my mom…" Sakura's voice broke. "I don't do anything I don't want to do…I don't like you…I hate this situation…" She buried her head on her arms, her shoulders shaking.

Touya stared, still shocked—first, he had let this girl interrupt him more than once, and second, she was crying…really crying…

Touya got up from his place at the table and walked over to where she sat. He tentatively placed his arm around her shoulders. When she did not resist, he became encouraged and placed his other arm around her, hugging her.

Sakura suddenly sat up and threw her arms around Touya. "I'm sorry for saying that to you…I'm sorry for being so mean to you! I'm sorry for saying I hate you…"

"Shh…" Touya murmured, patting her shoulders. "It's ok, Sakura. I don't blame you."

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Sakura sat up. She rubbed her now swollen eyes. Touya finally flopped down on the floor, not caring that one shoulder of his shirt was completely wet.

"Ahh…much better," Touya said, resting his legs. "God…squatting like that made my legs really, really tired."

Sakura shot him a look. "Who told you to comfort me?"

Touya gulped, holding out his hands. "Okay, Sakura, now don't get all menstrual on me…"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait…you thought I'm menstruating?"

"Uh…yeah?" offered Touya, hoping she wouldn't bite his head off.

Sakura giggled, then began to laugh at the bewildered expression on Touya's face.

"Touya," she said between fits of giggling, "I'm not menstruating. I'm just…kind of bitchy today, I guess. From lack of sleep and emotional trauma." She giggled again. "Stupid, silly Touya, don't just assume that I'm menstruating."

Touya stared. Then he laughed, relieved that he would not have to deal with a bitchy, menstruating female, relieved that his sister was not so angry and depressed anymore. Suddenly, the atmosphere lightened, and so did the Touya's mood.

Still chortling, Touya flicked a casual glance at Sakura's shirt and winced. A purple Barney was embroidered on the edge of Sakura's lavender shirt, which was at least two sizes smaller than the size she should have been wearing.

Sakura noticed his movement. "What?" she asked, her voice having lost its edge.

"Umm…Sakura? I don't know how to tell you this, but fuckin' shit! You have got to get some new clothing. I mean, Barney? That was a freakin' decade ago. And that shirt? You have got to stop flaunting your midriff like that…I mean, it's not exactly attractive…" Touya's voice trailed off as Sakura was beginning to look murderous again.

She sniffed disdainfully. "And I suppose, now that I'm your sister, you'll be forcing me into your polos, flip-flops, etc.? You think, that just because I'm your acknowledged sister, I'm going to start wearing _your_ type of clothing? No. I don't think so, Touya. I'm not going to go all preppy with you."

Touya let it go. He had learned, from experience, that girls were very hard to compromise with, especially when it came to clothing.

"Fine," he said, shrugging. "It's just that I'd thought you'd like to know Barney went out of fashion a long time ago."

Sakura looked down at the dinosaur and blushed. "Whatever," she said, "it's not like I have anyone to impress anyway…"

Touya smirked, noting the blush on her cheeks. "What, you want someone to impress?"

"No!" she said quickly, her cheeks still slightly red.

Touya continued to smirk, but he turned away from her. He didn't want to get slapped…

----

"Maria! Antigua! Guadalupe!" Touya opened the door to the kitchen. Spanish assailed Sakura's ears.

The three women were standing near the stove, gossiping and cleaning the counter.

"I'd like you to meet my sister, Sakura," Touya said. "She just arrived last night."

"Guadalupe, the chef," Touya said, indicating a tall, distinguished woman. Guadalupe nodded at Sakura, smiling. "Maria, the housekeeper." Maria waved cheerily. "And that's Antigua, the maid," Touya said. Antigua blew a kiss to Sakura. "They're absolute goddesses," Touya said, as the two exited the kitchen. "I wouldn't be able to function without them."

Sakura raised a brow. "What's the point of having a maid and a housekeeper? It seems a bit superfluous, and you have to pay an extra person."

Touya shrugged. "The housekeeper does errands, while the maid stays inside and cleans the house."

Sakura shook her head, still unconvinced of the necessity of having both a maid and a housekeeper.

Touya was taking her on a tour of the apartment. Sakura had been correct in her assessment of what Fujitaka Kinomoto deemed "modest"—although there were no fancy authentic knickknacks to be seen, the apartment was still large, lavish, and decorated with furniture. Even though the pieces of furniture were simple, they were still of high quality, something she had been quick to notice. The apartment had a home-like feeling to it, but it was still pricey—what year of tuition was to Sakura was probably ten percent of what a month of the apartment's rent was.

Finally, after the tour culminated in the library, Touya retrieved his sports gear, bag, and car keys, saying it was time to leave for school.

-----

After an uneventful ride to school, Sakura had finally gotten accustomed to the expensive BMW, with its luxurious vinyl upholstery and impressive technology. _Rich bastard, _Sakura thought, although the thought lacked the usual venom reserved for the super-rich.

The car pulled up in the parking lot, and Touya casually shrugged off the seatbelt. He opened the door and went outside the car, stretching.

It was in this moment that, as strange as it sounded, Sakura fully appreciated how good-looking her brother was. He had a casual elegance that was not the product of appreciating the adulation of fawning inferiors, but was rather the product of his own self-esteem and regard for his body. In others, this high self-regard would have translated into a swaggering, bullying air, effectively rendering them unattractive, but in Touya it only enhanced his appeal. Not, Sakura thought distastefully, that she would ever find her brother _appealing._ She suddenly realized that he was the type who would never do drugs or indulge in alcohol or cigarettes, simply because he thought himself above such petty vices that would destroy his body, and, in turn, his self-esteem.

"Come on, Sakura. Are you going to take class in my car? Because that's not possible, kaijuu. Now scoot." Touya removed his head from the car to avoid Sakura's slap.

"I am NOT a kaijuu." Sakura glowered, but she climbed out of the car and slammed the door with more force than necessary.

Touya winced. "Oy…don't do that, kaijuu."

"I said I'm NOT A KAIJUU," Sakura said, her teeth gritted.

Touya grinned, and Sakura realized her mistake. "I think kaijuu will be a fantastic nickname for you, kaijuu."

Sakura let out a frustrated growl as Touya laughed, turning the car's alarm system on and flipping the keys in his hand. "Now come on, dear kaijuu, I've got to get to the cafeteria."

As the two were walking out of the parking lot, two girls hailed Touya from the side of a convertible, where they had been standing and gossiping.

"Hey, Touya." One of the girls grinned. She winked her empty, baby blue eyes and tossed her wavy chestnut hair. Sakura almost recoiled but caught herself in time. Kasina's nose looked as if it had suffered through too many a nose job--it resembled nothing more than a melted, twisted blob of wax. Severely lopsided and split down the middle, Kasina's nose made her look like an ugly Pinocchio.

"Hey, Kasina," Touya said, smiling at her. "Hey Jeninya." The other girl waved, flipping her long auburn hair and smiled at Sakura, looking extremely stupid. Her face was a cross between a goldfish and a potato.

"How are you doing?" Kasina said, acting as if Sakura were invisible. Sakura rolled her eyes. Like she cared about what either Kasina or Jeninya thought of her.

"I'm good," said Touya, "and I can see that both you ladies are good as well…" He winked at them.

The two giggled. "We saw you drive up in that car of yours. It's quite spacious, Touya, spacious enough for…another passenger…" Kasina's eyes glossed momentarily over Sakura, taking in her too-small shirt.

Touya put an arm around Sakura. "This is my sister, Kasina. Her name is Sakura, and she's a sophomore. Our parents are estranged, and she used to live with my mother, but now she lives with me." He drew her close.

Kasina seemed to momentarily stop smirking for a moment as she glanced at Touya's arm around Sakura. Then she let loose a brief laugh. Jeninya laughed sycophantically with her. Sakura cringed. Jeninya's laugh sounded like the braying of a hyperventilating donkey.

"Welcome, Sakura," Kasina said. She shot one final smirk at Sakura before turning back to Jeninya, snapping her gum loudly. "See you guys later."

Touya removed his arm from Sakura's shoulders. "Come on, Sakura." He began walking towards the cafeteria.

Sakura followed suit, without looking back at either of the girls. After she had walked a few feet away, she heard their giggles. Rolling her eyes, Sakura gritted her teeth and joined her brother, who was waiting.

"Ignore them," Touya intoned. "Between the two of them, they only have one brain cell, and that one they share."

Sakura shrugged. Then, keeping her voice nonchalant, she said, "Well, you seem to like stupid bimbos, from the way you act around them."

Surprised, Touya looked down at her. "I only flirt with them to get a reaction, Sakura. It's funny—they actually act like they have a chance with me. I'd never hook up with or date either girl. Jeninya is stoned all the time, as you can probably tell, and Kasina spends all her time primping in front of the mirror and worrying over her nose. Besides, there's only one girl I like, and she's—" He stopped talking abruptly.

Amused, Sakura glanced at him. "Go on," she said, as the two walked through the Herb Garden.

Touya shook his head.

"Oh, come on," Sakura said, poking him in the ribs. "Who is she?"

Touya shook his head again, sighing. "Fine, I might as well tell you, since you're probably going to hear it from someone else anyway. The only girl here worth chasing after is Tomoyo Daidouji."

Sakura stopped walking. "Oh…I think I know whom you're talking about," she said, calling to mind the ethereally beautiful girl with violet eyes. "Umm…she's on volleyball, isn't she?"

"Yeah," said Touya. "She thinks I don't like her that much, but I do. I just kind of…botched my chances."

"How?" asked Sakura, although she thought she knew how her brother had ruined his chances.

"Well…let's just say that, instead of properly asking her out, I hooked up with her at a party and didn't bother to have a relationship with her," Touya said grimly.

"Ohh…Touya…" Sakura said, mentally groaning. "From what I've seen of her, Daidouji is probably the type of girl who would hate to be used as a source of satisfaction for your rampaging lust."

Touya sighed, and then shrugged. "Yeah, from what I heard she got pretty upset at that…I don't think she likes me much anymore. I tried asking her out after the party, but she rejected me. Things are pretty frigid between us."

Sakura clicked her tongue. "Good job, Casanova. Really, _really _good job."

Touya scowled at her. "Hey, I already got harangued by all of her friends, okay? I don't need your lip at this moment."

"Whatever, Touya. You screwed up, now you have to face the consequences. Later, I'm going up to the Lobby." Sakura parted with her brother at the staircases, heading towards the main building.

Touya sighed, continuing towards the cafeteria.

"Yo! Touya!"

Touya turned around.

Several members of the Boys Soccer team approached him from the parking lot.

"Hey guys, what's up? Did you enjoy your free yesterday?" Touya asked them, smiling.

"Like hell I did," growled Yoshi, one of the players on defense. "Hiragizawa relayed your message to us. Why the fuck did we have to do two more hours of practice than usual? And why did you tell Coach to bench anyone who refused to practice? Besides, why weren't you at practice? You lazy bum, are you a chicken or something? We played for four hours in the rain yesterday!"

"Yeah, Touya! Why, man? We want an answer!" Two other guys standing next to Yoshi were looking murderous as well.

Touya was completely taken aback. "Wait…Yoshi, what? I told Hiragizawa to tell you practice was canceled yesterday."

Yoshi scrutinized Touya. Then he laughed. "Yeah, sure Touya. I knew you would try to dodge responsibility. Blame the messenger, that's what you want us to do, huh? Well, you know what? Your plan is backfiring in your face. I'm not going to blame Eriol; I'm going to blame you, because Eriol actually showed up to practice yesterday. God, Touya, actually take responsibility for once."

Touya held up his hands. "Look, Yoshi, guys, please listen. As your captain, I'm really not trying to bullshit you by blaming the messenger. But the fact is, I told Eriol to tell you guys practice was cancelled. I don't know what happened yesterday, but all I want you to know is that I didn't impose a four-hour practice on you, okay?" Then, when the other guys were still looking unconvinced, Touya sighed. "Okay, you know what? Since I was so irresponsible and neglected to tell you guys directly, you guys can impose a punishment on me."

Yoshi raised his eyebrows. Looking around at his friends, he smirked at Touya. "Really, Touya? You'll take whatever punishment we impose?"

Touya nodded, feeling not a small amount of trepidation at the smirk on Yoshi's face. "I'm doing this because I was irresponsible, not because I made you guys do four hours of practice—"

"Yeah, yeah, sure Touya, whatever you say," Yoshi said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's go, boys," he said to his friends, "we need to tell everyone else, don't we? Then we need to think of an appropriate punishment…ooh, this is going to be fun…you're going to regret this, Touya…" Now all of them were smirking. "Bye Bye, dear Captain. We'll see you later…" They walked away.

Touya felt homicidal. _I'm going to rip Hiragizawa limb from limb…_

-----

That day, Kinomoto Touya and his little sister Amamiya Sakura became quite a subject at school. Everywhere Sakura went, she felt the whispers, stares, and giggles of her classmates surrounding her.

"Hey, Sakura!"

She turned around.

Kaori and Daine were gasping, running up to her.

"Hey guys," Sakura said, and continued walking to her locker. "Missed you this morning. Where were you?"

"Oh, we were finishing up our Computer Science project," Kaori said airily. "Thank God we had a Chemistry free today. But listen, we've just heard the most sensational news. It's been all over the school, Sakura; people are saying that you and Kinomoto Touya are the kids of your estranged parents! Sakura, is this true?"

Sakura opened her locker, not looking at either Kaori or Daine. "Of course it's true," she said, stowing her Geometry book inside her locker. She grabbed her History textbook. "People wouldn't be as stupid as to make that up."

"But…why is your last name Amamiya?" Daine asked cautiously.

Sakura sighed. "Listen, I don't have time to go through the entire story, since I have History next period, but I'll give you the basics. Our parents divorced when I was three and Touya five. Since then, we've lived apart for more than twelve years. My mom cut off all contact with my father and my brother, so that's why I didn't even know, until two days ago, that I had a brother and father."

"But wait…Sakura, you're living with him now, aren't you?" Kaori asked.

Sakura nodded, slamming her locker and attaching the lock. "Yeah, we live together now. Touya contacted his father's lawyers and told them my mother has relinquished custody of me. Dr. Kinomoto Fujitaka now has legal custody of me. Touya told me I could keep my mother's maiden name or change it. It all depends on me, he said."

Kaori and Daine were wide-eyed. "Wow…Sakura, that's amazing. Your mom still has visitation rights, doesn't she?"

Sakura felt a lump in her throat again. "Yes…I mean, yeah…she still does. We can still see each other all the time…" The feelings she had been holding at bay since this morning were now rising to the surface again. It had been fun, getting acquainted with her brother, but she still didn't know whether she would be able to see her mother again…would her father be a complete beast and refuse to let mother and daughter have any contact with each other?

Daine touched her shoulder. "Sakura…just know that we'll always be here for you," he murmured.

Sakura nodded, head resting against the locker. She swallowed, willing the tears not to fall.

Kaori nodded as well. "Sakura, you can count on us."

Sakura sniffed, then stood straight, moving so that Daine's hand fell to his side. "Thanks, guys," she said, and then she walked away from them.

-----

Johnston-sensei cleared his throat.

"Well, we've finished discussing the Meiji Restoration. Now," he said, pacing the room, his hands in his pockets, "I've decided that we're going to do something different this time. The department head told me that assigning a ten-page paper the first week of school was a bit…uh…" Here Johnston paused to cough loudly, clearing his throat of mucus and taking a moment to suppress his embarrassment. "It was…uh…_excessive,_ so instead of making you write a paper, I'm going to have you do a creative project."

Syaoran groaned internally. On either side of him, Momo and Kenneth were expressing dissatisfaction as well.

"A creative project," said Johnston, continuing his lecture. "Your project will be a juxtaposition of life before and after the Industrial Revolution in Japan. You may do this in any way you wish. You may write a play, use a poster board, perform a skit, do a boring lecture—" Here he gave Syaoran the briefest of looks before plunging on—"or write a letter. This is a very open-ended project. Creativity and content will be given equal weight when grading this assignment. Now, are there any questions?" He looked around the room. "Yes, Kizuki-san?"

Satoshi, Seijou's official voyeur, smirked. "May we do a study on the contraceptives available before and after the Japanese Industrial Revolution?"

To his credit, Johnston did not blush as he answered steadily, "You may, Kizuki-san, but I wonder whether your partner will be as open to the idea as you are."

Satoshi's smirk fell off his face. "We're going to have a partner?"

Johnston turned around and went to his desk, picking up a sheet of paper. "Partners have been assigned alphabetically,Kizuki-san. You have been partnered with Kinoshi-san," he said, indicating Kenneth.

Kenneth and Syaoran exchanged looks, Kenneth raising his eyebrows. It wasn't a bad choice for a partner, Syaoran reflected. Satoshi might have been perverted and dirty, but so was Kenneth. Besides, what Kenneth lacked in gray matter Satoshi more than made up for.

Johnston then began at the top of the list, reading out partners. "Amamiya-san and Ashina-san," he said, nodding at Momo and Amamiya.

Syaoran almost laughed aloud, for the identical look on Momo's and Amamiya's faces was one of complete and unabashed disgust.

"Li-san?" Johnston was looking at him.

"Yes, sensei?"

"You're with Mansho-san."

-----

"Shit!"

It was lunchtime, during F period. Wednesday was the only day during which all Twelve of them had the same lunch free. The Twelve were lounging out on the field, under the dogwood tree. Momo was holding court today, with a slew of unflattering comments about her newly assigned History partner.

"WHY did I have to be paired with Amamiya? Just why?" Momo wailed, smashing her fist on her sandwich.

Eriol shook his head. He was not his usual airy-fairy self today, and Syaoran knew why. Several members of the Boys Soccer team, including Syaoran himself, had cornered him today, demanding to know why there was a discrepancy between his story and Touya's. In the end, Eriol had confessed all, admitting that Touya had indeed cancelled practice, but he had ordered two extra hours of practice because the team had, quote, "really, really needed the extra hours." Eriol's cheeky comment had not gone well with everyone, and, forgetting the success of their practice, they had imposed a punishment on both Eriol and Touya: on Friday, two days from today, Touya was to dress up as a dominatrix for team spirit, while Eriol was to dress up as a (slutty) fairy.

"Sucks to be you, Momo," Liz said. She recommenced feeding Kenneth her grapes.

Yuni and Chika, however, were more sympathetic. "Hmm…you know, maybe you could wiggle your way out of this one, Momo. Swap partners with someone…"

"Who'd you get, Syaoran?" Yoji asked, spearing a tomato.

"Umm…Mansho," Syaoran muttered, crushing a grape with the flat of his knife.

Meiling, Yoji, Takashi, and Chiharu all burst into laughter. "Mansho?" Takashi choked out.

"Yeah, Mansho…come on, stop that! At least I'll get full marks on this assignment," Syaoran snapped.

"Mansho!" The four began discussing this latest development.

Syaoran rolled his eyes and looked towards Tomoyo to redeem Mansho's name. "You don't think being with Mansho is that bad, do you?"

Tomoyo shrugged, taking a sip from her water. "I wouldn't mind, but it's evident that you do."

Syaoran shook his head. "No, I don't mind at all."

Tomoyo shrugged but did not further pursue the subject. "What's up with Hiragizawa?"

Syaoran smirked. "Well…I'm not supposed to let this get out, you know…"

Tomoyo punched him playfully. "Aw…Syaoran! Tell me, you know you want to!"

Syaoran sighed, saying in a mockingly exasperated voice, "The things I do for you…" He bent his head and whispered into her ear the details of Eriol's punishment.

Tomoyo burst into laughter. "E-E-Eriol," she gasped, "Is this true?"

Eriol glowered at Syaoran. "Yeah, it is true."

Tomoyo began laughing again. "You know what, Eriol? In case you need equipment, I have makeup, a tutu, and flowery leggings for you to borrow." Then she laughed again, Syaoran joining her.

Suddenly, Yuni hit her. "Hey…Tomoyo, Eriol, Syaoran…look over there…"

Tomoyo and Syaoran stopped laughing, aware that the rest of their friends had become silent.

"Look…it's Amamiya and Touya," Yuni hissed.

Syaoran and Tomoyo looked.

Amamiya Sakura and Touya were standing outside the entrance to the gym. As they watched, they saw Touya make what was evidently a jesting comment, for Amamiya reached out and punched him. Touya, in turn, pretended to reel from the impact of her punch. Then he laughed at her, reaching down and tousling her hair from his height.

Tomoyo's cheeks flamed red. Even now, her heart still jumped at the sight of him. She tried not to think of the dream she had last night…

"Touya! Come join us!"

Gods, no, Tomoyo thought, groaning as Meiling called Touya over.

She watched, her stomach turning over as Touya and Amamiya Sakura approached.

"Touya," said Meiling coyly, "you still haven't introduced us to that girl…"

Tomoyo watched Amamiya Sakura bristle slightly. She was apparently averse to being called "that girl."

Touya laughed, not taking offense from Meiling's comment.

"This is my sister, guys," Touya said. Tomoyo heard a gasp of outrage from Yuni and Chiharu. Ignoring them, Touya continued, "My dad just got custody of her. She's living with me now, so be nice to her!"

Meiling laughed. "Of course we will, Touya! Your sister is absolutely gorgeous…I really like that shirt."

It was obviously an attack, oblique as it was. Touya merely raised his eyebrow. "I'm glad you do," he said. His voice lacked the joking tone it had before.

For a moment, there was a silence. All eyes were on the Barney embroidered on the corner of Amamiya's shirt. Tomoyo looked away from her, embarrassed for her friends. To her credit, however, Amamiya glared back defiantly.

Finally, it was Eriol who broke the silence. He stood up and walked over to Touya, taking him aside. "Yo, Touya, bro, I'm really sorry about that soccer thing…" Touya's sister, with one last defiant glance at the eleven of them, walked away to the side with her brother.

Tomoyo and Syaoran exchanged quick looks with each other. Meiling, Liz, and Chiharu began conversing in low voices, while Yuni, Chika, and Momo did the same. Kenneth shot a look at Amamiya and whispered something to Yoji and Takashi. The three of them laughed loudly.

"Meiling shouldn't have been so rash in attacking Amamiya," Tomoyo said, shaking her head. "Touya obviously feels sibling loyalty for her, even though they've been separated for so long."

Syaoran nodded, his eyes on Amamiya's back. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it.

Tomoyo was on him in a second. "What is it, Syaoran? I know when you've got something to say."

Syaoran looked down at the grass. He shook his head. "It's nothing, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo eyed him but did not say anything more. From what she could tell, the looks he gave Amamiya were not lascivious, but rather something else. It was a shock when Tomoyo discovered that there was pity in Syaoran's gaze.

"You feel bad for her, don't you?" Tomoyo whispered.

Syaoran shrugged. "Yeah…sort of. It's just…well, I wonder what it'd be like to be an outsider. You know, Tomoyo, we've all had it so good—our parents are wealthy, they love us, we get our every whim granted, we've brushed shoulders with those in the uppermost echelons of society—I just wonder what it'd be like to be someone like Amamiya, you know. I wonder what it'd have been like, raised in near-poverty, and to have all the odds against you. Doesn't it sort of, well, build character? I mean, instead of getting everything handed to you on a silver platter, you have to fight to even see that platter…"

Tomoyo stared out into the sky, stiffening suddenly in the warmth of the weak rays September sunshine offered. She would not allow the conversation to continue in this vein…"You know, Syaoran, I used to wonder about that too…and for a while, I even fought against everything that I had…remember that stage I went through in seventh grade?"

Syaoran smiled, reminiscing. "Yeah, I remember. You went through this Goth stage, wearing black lipstick and ghosting your face. You didn't talk to any of us for three weeks and disappeared from school. It was like that for a month, but you came back and acted as if nothing had happened. We were all so worried about you…I remember Yuni herself made you a different kind of cake every day and sent it to your apartment to cheer you up…" he laughed. "And we all know how much Yuni hates baking."

Tomoyo laughed too. "Yeah. Remember that time in middle school, during ninth grade, when we had to bake bread and bring it to class? Remember Yuni's baking disaster? She insisted on doing it herself…"

Syaoran snickered. "Yeah. I think it took Chiharu a month to get the dough out of her hair…"

"Two months, actually!" Chiharu called. Syaoran and Tomoyo looked up, surprised. The rest of the Twelve had finally finished gossiping about Amamiya and had now formed a circle around Syaoran and Tomoyo. Eriol came over too, having finished talking with Touya and his sister. He seemed much happier now, and he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Let's catalogue Yuni's baking disasters, shall we?" He flopped down next to her and pulled on her hair. Yuni pouted. "Let's see…there was that time when…"

They whiled the rest of the period away, chatting and laughing.

It wasn't until Syaoran was changing for practice in the locker room that he realized Tomoyo had evaded and neatly changed the topic.

Time for a little AN, I suppose.

Answers to FAQ:

1) NO. This is not based on the Clique series.

2) NO. This is not the latest installment in the series of private school satire. (Although there is some satire in here...)

3) NO. I will not update twice per week, no matter how hard you squeal, you monkey. LOL

4) _What is this story based on? _

I'll leave that one to you, darling.


End file.
